Moroccan cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Bstila Kefta bel Bayd

A savory pie from Rabat: spiced ground meat with soft-set egg and parsley in crisp warqa pastry.

Ingredients · for 6 servings

• 12 sheets warqa pastry (or filo pastry)
• 500 g ground beef
• 2 onions
• 5 eggs
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp ras el hanout
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ginger (ground)
• 100 g clarified butter
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Finely dice the onions, roughly chop the parsley and whisk four eggs together in a bowl; separate and beat the fifth egg to use as a seal for the edges.
2. Heat 2 tbsp clarified butter in a pan and fry the ground meat with the onions over high heat for 8–10 min. until crumbly, until the liquid evaporates and the meat browns.
3. Add ras el hanout, turmeric and ginger, toast for 1 min., season with salt and pepper, then stir in the whisked eggs and let set over low heat for 3–4 min. until moistly crumbly; fold in the parsley and let cool.
4. Grease a round 26 cm pan with melted clarified butter and line it star-shaped with eight sheets of pastry so they overhang the edge, brushing each sheet with fat.
5. Fill in the filling, smooth it out, fold the overhanging sheets over the center and cover with the remaining four sheets; seal the edges with the beaten egg, brush the surface with fat and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 190 °C for 30–35 min. until the pie is golden brown and crisp all over, let rest for 5 min. and serve hot cut into pieces.